Ookay, here's chapter 2. I wasn't really sure what to do with the end. I like the start though :) and I'll inform you now that my writing just doesn't like to be made short, so there will probably be quite a lot of chapters to this story :D
Abby watched with her hands on her hips and a slight smile as the petite brunette hurricane that was her friend Jess tore around their flat, arranging things and re-arranging them and then putting it all back where it had been. "I can't believe Connor did this! They're staying in our flat! It's a mess! What'll they think of me when they see this?" She was having a hard time accepting that the whole ARC team would be holing up at the flat for who knew how long. Abby personally didn't mind; she knew Emily was great to live with, and Becker and Matt were like brothers to her. That was really all that mattered. What she was slightly worried about was how all three guys would manage to share the spare bathroom without blowing the place up.
Connor chose that moment to appear at the head of the stairs and answer Jess's question. "Oh you mean what Becker'll think? I'll be sure to tell him how worried you were", the geeky computer tech teased while fetching a cup of coffee from the machine. He was answered by a pillow flung at him from across the room, which he tried and failed to duck. Coffee spilled all over the counter. Abby retrieved the cushion and set it back on the couch, grabbing Jess's arm as the younger woman attempted to spin away again. "Jess", she said, "it'll be fine. The flat's tip top, I can't find anything to complain about and neither will the others." She carefully kept the subject away from Becker. "Anyway, if they have something to say about a mess…well, we'll just blame it on Connor. Nobody will find that hard to believe", she grinned. Jess seemed tense for a moment, then she relaxed and smiled as well. "I suppose your right Abby." "Hey!" called Connor, who was mopping up the coffee. "I resent that accusation! I lead a completely ordinary and uninteresting life – "…save fighting dinosaurs and being the known reason of so many broken and missing things, most of which happen to be mine?" Abby challenged playfully. "I love you too Abs", Connor replied. Jess laughed at the pair's everyday bickering. Success, Abby thought to herself. She grabbed a ponytail to tie up her blonde hair, one of Jess's bright purple ones. "Alright guys, let's get to work. Last day! By evening this place is gonna seem even more crowded then it is now."
O.O.O.O.O.O.O
Shooting a proper gun was a lot harder then the EMDs she was used to, Emily Merchant decided as she stood with her legs braced apart at the end of the ARC's firing range. The kick was more powerful, and it was so different shooting live rounds than electrical bursts. The truth was, it felt good. Now she understood why Becker spent so much time here. There was nothing but the red target paper at the end of the range, the small lethal weapon she held, and the steadiness of her own hands. Emily shot every bullet in the pistol, then lowered it onto the shelf before her. "Clear!" she called.
"You might get more shots in if the target was nearer you know." Emily whipped around at the sound of Matt's voice. She hadn't even noticed him watching her appraisingly, leaning on the doorframe. He entered the room, and she removed her ear mufflers. "How would I get any better then? she challenged. "Come on", Matt said, smiling. "Lester told me to look through those reports from the last mission, I'd rather do it with you." He put his arm around her shoulder, kissed her hair, and the man from the future and woman from the past exited the room together.
"Matt?" Emily asked, looking up from the report in front of her. "What do people of the twenty-first century do during holidays? When I was living in my time, my job was to act the rich lord's lady. There was never really time to…relax, not truly." Matt thought for a minute. "Well, as far as I know, they spend time with their friends, watch movies, drink a little… pretty much anything they want, really. That's what holiday's for. And we'll be spending it at Jess's place, which should be interesting". He winked at her slyly.
At that moment, Lester walked into the room. "Ahh, Matt, Emily. Wonderful to see someone doing some work around here for a change. Connor seems to have started spring break early, judging by the fact that he's robbed Jess of her chair and is currently watching "Star Wars episode V" off one of the ADD's screens. Anything out of the ordinary?" Matt shook his head. "All's in order here". "Good, good. So I hear you're all spending your holiday together? Isn't the idea of holiday to, you know…get away from it all?" Emily laughed. "And when did you last have a holiday, Lester?" she asked, amused at the thought of the civil servant sprawling in a beach chair under palm trees, sipping coconut milk. "Why, someone has to stay here and keep you lot in order. And I've looked down the list that Captain Becker's signed up for replacements. No break for the boss, I'm afraid!" Matt smiled crookedly. "Come on Lester, join us!" Emily had to hold back a laugh. The look on Lester's face was priceless. "I think I'll pass, thank you very much", he said with heavy sarcasm, and strode out the room, leaving the two chortling. "He loves us", Emily said. "He just doesn't want to show it."
It took them half an hour to sort through the reports, phone the company that owned the warehouse to explain why it had been closed for nearly six hours, and generally clear up their mess. After that they cleaned out the filing cabinets and put all the important papers in order, shredding the rest. (It was inevitably a part of Lester's nature to horde his paperwork, and their job to get rid of it). There really wasn't much else to do. Emily began to fidget with the reports and make paper airplanes, the way one of the soldiers had taught her. Who could ever have imagined that the last day of work could be so boring?
O.O.O.O.O.O.O
Connor's day, however, was far from dull so far. After claiming the ADD for himself when Jess took a break to stretch her legs, he had launched into the fifth Star Wars movie, having fallen asleep before he could watch it the night before. By noon, he had enraged Lester by having a sandwich and soda in the lab, broken a microscope, and was now skateboarding through the ARC in search of his friends, bumping into the occasional scientist. It had been too long since they last had an anomaly-free day. He wondered what fun the others were up to.
"Guys, seriously? Reports? Lester's god of paperwork, just give it all to him. That's what I did." Connor had been amused to see Matt sitting at the table, pouring over the latest anomaly incident while Emily chucked paper planes at his head when he wasn't looking. "Yeah Connor, and we can see how happy he is with you now", the team leader said, looking up from the paper in his hands and leaning back in his chair. "Actually, on second thought, who cares. It's all going in the shredder one day anyway." Emily stood up. "Can we leave now?" Matt checked his watch. "We've got a couple hours to go still, then we can get home and pack for Jess's", he informed her. "Connor, have you actually got anything useful to do now?" The computer tech pretended to think for a minute. "Umm, no." "Well get to the armory and help Becker clean and oil the guns. Keep them in good shape for those poor guys who have to take over our jobs." Connor feigned shock. "Cleaning guns? With action man? Grab a brain Matt, and just shoot me now. It'll save me endless pain and trouble", he said. Once, he might have grabbed at an opportunity to visit the armory and play around with the weapons there, but now it wasn't all that exciting anymore. Though with Becker there, alone… Connor's eyes glazed over at the endless possibilities. But he shook his head at Matt. "I'm going to visit Abby at the menagerie", he informed. He wasn't ready to pay for teasing Becker about Jess by being shot with an EMD. With that, he skateboarded away.
Before going to the menagerie, though, Connor popped in at the Hub. There, as he knew he would, he found Jess before the ADD. She frowned as he bounced into sight, still a little angry with him for sidelining her from her place at the controls. "What now?" she asked. Connor grinned. "Just came to see if you could spare a screen…" He fled the room at the sight of Jess's murderous expression, heading in high spirits for the menagerie where Abby was sure to be. There was nothing better to do during an eventless day at work than bother your workmates.
"Hey Abby! How's it going?" Connor called after clearing the airlock. His girlfriend was tending Sid, plucking dried scales from the healthy ones. "Here Connor, hold him for a bit while I clean out the rest of these scales. The little imp just won't stop struggling", she said as a greeting. Connor obediently grabbed the Diictodon around the middle while Abby worked. He stared at her the whole time. Watching Abby work with animals was fascinating. Watching Abby do anything was fascinating.
She was finished in just a few minutes, and they deposited Sid back into the menagerie with Nancy and Rex. The mammoth trumpeted at them from across the room. Abby put her small plucking device into a cupboard, then leaned over and gave Connor a kiss. "Sorry about that. I was supposed to do a once-over on all the creatures, because there'll be nobody to care for them, otherwise than to give food, while I'm away. What's been up with you all day?" she asked. Connor tilted his head from side to side. "Oh, you know… this and that". Abby sighed. "Been bothering Lester again?" She knew him so well. "No! Well yes… but it's irresistible, really!" Connor said, seeing her raise an eyebrow. He pulled her close beside him. "Come on Abs, let's go see what the others are up to".
It had been a surprisingly short day at the ARC, Connor mused as they drove home with Abby and Jess. Lester had experienced a burst of goodwill, promising they could all take the last hour off as long as Connor didn't cause havoc and re-arranged the filing cabinets. As it turned out, Matt and Emily had just finished doing that, so they were free to go. Only Becker had to stay behind and brief his soldiers about how the missions were to be handled, and show them how to operate the ADD properly. Connor almost felt sorry for his workmate. Almost. His thoughts turned to sharing his personal flat space with the Captain, Matt, and the girls… and he grinned. If he just played his cards right, there could be a lot to gain from this holiday…
So that's that! If you have any kind of name suggestions for this story, please let me know! (Though there is going to be a party at some point, that much I've decided.) Anyways, I hope you liked it, and in the next chapter the others get to have a taste of living in the Parker/Temple/Maitland residence… hee hee :)